'Bee Bus Stops' Help to Save Bees in Britain

A UK company is causing a buzz in towns and cities with "living roof" bus stops
that may help increase bee and other insect populations across the country.

Clear Channel, a media company, is working with The Wildlife Trusts, a group of
nature-focused charities, to make cities better for wildlife and to bring people
closer to nature. Together, they are replacing old bus stops with new ones that
include a garden on the roof to attract insects.

The bus stop gardens — also known as "bee bus stops" — are filled with plants
that are ideal for pollination, such as wild strawberries, poppies and pansies.

The city of Leicester, about 150 kilometers north of London, already installed 30
bee bus stops in summer 2021, and more can be found in British cities from
Glasgow to Brighton.

Announcing its partnership with The Wildlife Trusts in May 2022, Clear Channel
promised to have 150 bee bus stops installed by the end of the year.

Utrecht in the Netherlands was the first European city to use bee bus stops, and
already had 316 of them installed by spring 2019. Utrecht notes that, in addition
to helping bees, the living roofs also help hold rainwater and reduce air
pollution, and even help keep the city cool in summer.

Bees are essential to biodiversity, and it has been estimated that more than a
third of global crop production depends on bees and other pollinators. However,
according to the UN, populations of bees and other pollinators have been
decreasing in many parts of the world due to modern farming practices and
climate change.

A 2019 study found that a third of the UK's wild pollinator species decreased in
population between 1980 and 2013, while only about 10% increased.
Discussion
1.
What are your thoughts on Britain's bee bus stops?
2.
How often do you ride buses? Are they reliable where you live?
3.
Are there any rooftop gardens or green spaces in your town or city?
4.
Do you think you'd enjoy working as a beekeeper?
5.
What do you think would happen if bees went extinct? 
6.
Are there a lot of trees and green spaces in your neighborhood?
7.
What are the greenest cities you've been to?
8.
What plants would you grow if you had a large garden?
9.
Have you lived in the countryside? If so, for how long? If not, would you
like to?
10.
How often do you get a chance to spend time in nature?